Positive feedback

You can thank a member of our team over the phone, in writing or in person. Your positive feedback helps us celebrate our colleagues who do a good job.

Friends and family test

You can give feedback through our NHS friends and family test. This is a short, anonymous survey. It gives patients the chance to give feedback on their experience with our practice. It asks whether you would recommend our practice to your friends and family. The test is part of a national NHS scheme to help healthcare providers find out what they are doing well and where improvements can be made.

Anyone who uses our services is welcome to take part. This includes patients who have had face-to-face appointments, phone consultations or accessed any other service we offer. Taking part is completely voluntary. The survey takes less than a minute to do.

The feedback we get is reviewed often. It helps us learn what matters most to our patients. It also highlights areas of good practice and see where changes are needed. Your comments are vital in making the quality of care we give better.

Informal complaints

It’s important that we try to resolve your concerns as quickly as possible. Most minor concerns or complaints can be resolved by speaking directly with your GP or practice manager. This can be done in person or in writing. In most cases, your practice manager will be able to resolve your problem.

Formal complaints

If you wish to make a formal complaint, this can be done by phoning your practice. You can also send a written complaint to the practice or via email to nencicb-nor.npc.complaints@nhs.net.

Your complaint should include the following info to help us investigate:

• Your name, date of birth and contact details.
• If the complaint concerns you or you are complaining on behalf of someone else.
• Who or what you are complaining about.
• Where and when the events happened.
• Anything you or a staff member have done already about your complaint.
• What result you hope for e.g. This could be an explanation, an apology, specific actions, or information about how we will use your experience to improve our service or care.

If you are making a complaint on behalf of someone else, you will get a consent form. We will need the patient’s written consent before we are able to investigate.

Once we get your complaint, you can expect to get acknowledgement within 3 working days. The timescale for your complaint response will be agreed with the practice manager. You will be provided with a formal response in writing, within the timescale agreed. We will contact you within this timescale if there are any delays to your investigation.

Complaints procedure

We aim to treat all patients promptly, politely and with proper care at all times. However, sometimes, problems do occur. If you are unhappy with the treatment or service that you, a relative or someone you care for has received, you have the right to make a complaint. If you have a complaint, it’s important that we try to resolve it.

Confidentiality

All concerns or complaints will be treated with privacy. You will be offered to discuss the problem with an appropriate person to try to resolve the issue. Your care will not be affected by making a complaint.

Timescales

You should always raise your concern or complaint as soon as possible after the event. You need to this within 12 months of the event that is the subject of your complaint. This helps us to understand what happened more easily.

If you don’t feel comfortable making a complaint directly to the practice

If you would prefer not to approach us directly, you can raise your complaint with the NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (NENC ICB) primary care complaints team instead. The NENC ICB are responsible for how the NHS budget is spent locally. You can contact them on:

Email: necsu.pccomplaints@nhs.net

Tel: 0191 512 8277

Write: Primary Care Complaints Team, North East and North Cumbria ICB, Riverside House, Goldcrest Way, Newburn Riverside Business Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE15 8NY

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint

After you have received a response to your complaint from the practice, or if you do not feel your complaint has been handled adequately or correctly, you can contact the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman (PHSO). Through them, you can request an independent investigation. Their service is confidential and free.

The final decision of the Ombudsman is the last stage of the NHS complaint process. They can be contacted at:

Visit: www.ombudsman.org.uk/making-complaint

Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk

Tel: 0345 015 4033

Write: Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, London, SW1P 4QP

Complaint Support

You can also speak to several local groups to support you with your complaint.

Click the headings below for more information about each group.